Date of Award
Spring 1970
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
History
Abstract
The Mexican War was not a nationally popular war. Dissent came in various forms from opposition to extension of slave territory through the annexation of Texas, to fear of increased Executive power. The majority of dissension in Virginia came from the Whig party as the largest anti- administration faction.
Thus, I trie dto measure popular dissent by examining the "mouthpiece" of this opposition party, the Richmond Daily Whig. In trying to narrow my topic, I chose for the limits of my paper the period from Fall, 1845 to the war declaration of May 11, 1846 and the repercussions immediately following that declaration. I felt that this gave an adequate expression of the direct reaction and opposition to the President's war policy. The vehemence of popular reaction was perhaps the strongest at this point, with the Whigs recording on the pages of their paper, every breath of this opposition to what they considered an unjust and unnecessary war.
Recommended Citation
Lilly, Angela, "Virginia's dissension toward the Mexican War" (1970). Honors Theses. 241.
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/honors-theses/241